Halberd-class destroyer
|buildtime = 13 |uses = 9 |hull = 2200 |armor = 5 |antimatter = |experience = |weapon1 = MAC |damage.weapon1 = 17 |cooldown.weapon1 = |weapon2 = MAC |damage.weapon2 = 11 |cooldown.weapon2 = |weapon3 = Missile |damage.weapon3 = 11 |cooldown.weapon3 = |desc = With its distinctive arrowhead profile and inventory of heavy arms and armor plating, the Halberd-class provides UNSC with a fast and effective offensive ship able to punch surprisingly high above its weight.|weapon4 = AA Autocannon|damage.weapon4 = 15|note = Mark 45 Sensors Superconductors Heavy combat destroyer - Good for direct Assault against enemy frigates and cruisers, as well as capital ships in larger numbers.}} The Halberd-class is a heavy escort ship in service to the United Nations Space Command. It excels in direct combat and fleet support. Overview A mainline destroyer suited to almost any task, these ships come with a lot of firepower in a small package. Whether it be militia, Flood, or Covenant, one can rely on this ship to ruin anyone's day. A mainstay in the UNSC Fleet, these destroyers are found across the fleet and are second only to the ''Paris''-class Heavy Frigate in numbers. History Introduced to replace the aging Gorgon-class destroyer, the Halberd came standard with dual Magnetic Accelerator Cannons, a tradition all later destroyer classes would continue to follow. Although only slightly bigger than the Charon-class light frigate, the Halberd-class Destroyer has almost double the mass. This is due to both its dual MACs, oversized missile pods, and increased armor. These are some of the fastest, nimblest ships fielded by the UNSC and are designed almost exclusively for ship-to-ship combat. Halberd-class Destroyers have accomplished some surprising feats during the war. The-then-Commander Keyes and his Halberd-class UNSC Iroquois took on a Covenant carrier, two Frigates, and a CPV-class heavy destroyer over Sigma Octanus by itself. All four ships outsized and outgunned the lone UNSC ship, but they did not have Keyes. Utilizing conventional and nuclear weapons, difficult maneuvers and a Crazy Ivan tactic later known as the "Keyes Loop," Iroquois destroyed the frigates and destroyer while the carrier fled, returning later with a larger fleet. Later on, during the main battle of Sigma Octanus, Keyes spotted and fired missiles at a DAV-class stealth corvette, but the guidance systems for the missiles were foiled by enemy countermeasures. Keyes response: he rammed the ship and destroyed it. The UNSC Iroquois survived Sigma Octanus and was fully refitted and repaired at Reach. Weapons and Tactical Usage The Halberd-class is equipped with twin MACs. This gives it high alpha strike power, only outclassed by capital ships when it comes to the UNSC while having decent archer missiles to boot. While better than the Paris-class, it is more expensive to field and takes longer to build. En mass, their double MAC can make even Covenant opponents think twice about engaging. This should be the most produced ship second only to the Paris-class. However, due to their higher cost and longer build time, These should not be built in emergency situations to reinforce fleets, and are not recommended to be built in a defensive situation where massed ships are suddenly needed. Canon Reference *Halberd is the canon title that has replaced the non-canon class title "Thanatos". Officially its concept was only ever been referred to as 'Destroyer' beforehand, however this would not suffice in the modification as there are likely several variants in the Halo universe, including the aging Gorgon-class destroyer. "Thanatos" was used to distinguish this ship before "Halberd" was mentioned in a Canon Fodder blog. Credits Old model *Model - Annihilater102 *Texture - Annihilater102 New Model *Model - Malcontent1692 *Texture - Malcontent1692 Gallery midlothian.jpg|Render of the old model. Halberd Destroyer.png UNSC1.1.png|The Halberd alongside the ''Paris''-, ''Charon''-, and ''Strident''-class vessels. External links *Halberd-class - Halopedia See also Category:UNSC ships Category:Combat vessels